A waste company has been fined over £200,000 after a worker suffered burns to his body and face.
New Earth Solutions (West Limited) of Station Road, Caythorpe, was fined £200,000 and ordered to pay £12,466.60 at Lincoln Magistrates Court on Friday (May 10) after pleading guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
This was following an electrical explosion at the Copper Hill Industrial Estate in Ermine Street, Barkston Heath, on July 14, 2021, where a man suffered severe burns, a broken left arm, fractured ribs and dislocated knee caps.
While moving heavy duty electrical cables with a metal crowbar on an elevating working platform, the bar came into contact with a live conductor resulting in the explosion.
The explosion also caused the man to fall from the platform.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found the task was not part of the normal workload for the worker and that he had not received any training for undertaking electrical work.
The task had not been properly planned, no risk assessment had taken place and the electrical cables were not isolated before work began.
In addition, the level of supervision provided was inadequate and safety devices on the electrical supply had been set inappropriately, prioritising continuity of supply over safety of the electrical circuit.
HSE inspector Tim Nicholson said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by properly planning the task, ensuring that all workers involved were suitably competent and making sure that electrical conductors were isolated before the work began.
“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
The worker was contracted by New Earth Solutions (West) Limited, trading as Mid UK Recycling, to work at the firm’s recycling plant at Copper Hill industrial estate.
